Tone synthesis apparatus and method

Abstract

Either a tone generation priority mode or a quality priority mode can be set. If the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode when a connecting tone is to be generated for connecting between two successive notes, the joint-portion waveform data is selected for synthesis of the tone, stored head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data are selected, and at least one of a pitch and amplitude of at least one of the head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data is processed so as to provide a smoothly-varying connecting tone. In accordance with the processing, a tone of a fall portion of a temporally preceding one of two successive notes and a temporally succeeding one of the two successive notes are separately synthesized on the basis of the tail-portion waveform data and head-portion waveform data, respectively, so that a connecting tone is realized by a combination of the synthesized tone of the fall portion of the preceding note and the synthesized tone of the rise portion of the succeeding note.

1. A tone synthesis apparatus comprising:
 a storage section that stores therein at least head-portion waveform data corresponding to a rise portion of a tone, tail-portion waveform data corresponding to a fall portion of a tone and joint-portion waveform data corresponding to a joint portion connecting between two successive notes; 
 a mode setting section that sets either one of a tone generation priority mode and a quality priority mode, wherein the tone generation priority mode and the quality priority mode are modes to be selectively used in order to synthesize a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes, the tone generation priority mode being intended to reduce a delay in tone generation timing of a succeeding one of the two successive notes as compared to the quality priority mode; 
 an acquisition section that acquires performance information; 
 a data selection section that, when a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes is to be generated in accordance with the acquired performance information, selects the joint-portion waveform data from said storage section if a mode currently set by said mode setting section is the quality priority mode, but selects the head-portion waveform data and the tail-portion waveform data from said storage section if the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode; 
 a data processing section that, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, processes at least one of a pitch and amplitude of at least one of the head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data selected by said data selection section, on the basis of the acquired performance information, so as to provide a smoothly-varying connecting tone; and 
 a tone synthesis section that synthesizes a tone on the basis of the waveform data read out from said storage section in response to selection by said data selection section and in accordance with processing by said data processing section, 
 wherein, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, said tone synthesis section separately synthesizes, in accordance with the processing by said data processing section, a tone of a fall portion of a temporally preceding one of two successive notes on the basis of the tail-portion waveform data read out from said storage section and a tone of a rise portion of a temporally succeeding one of the two successive notes on the basis of the head-portion waveform data read out from said storage section, so that a connecting tone is realized by a combination of the synthesized tone of the fall portion of the preceding note and the synthesized tone of the rise portion of the succeeding note. 
 
     
     
       2. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said storage section stores, along with the head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data extracted from an original waveform, temporal pitch variation and/or amplitude variation of the original waveform for each of the portions, and
 wherein said data processing section performs at least one of first and second processing, wherein the first processing obtains a tone pitch difference and/or tone volume difference of the succeeding note from the preceding note with reference to performance information of the succeeding note and modifies the stored pitch variation and/or amplitude variation of the tail portion on the basis of the obtained tone pitch difference and/or tone volume difference, and the second processing obtains a tone pitch difference and/or tone volume difference of the preceding note from the succeeding note with reference to performance information of the preceding note and modifies the stored pitch variation and/or amplitude variation of the head portion on the basis of the obtained tone pitch difference and/or tone volume difference. 
 
     
     
       3. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said storage section stores, as the tail-portion waveform data, data of a waveform preceding a predetermined division point of an original waveform, having at least two successive notes, where a shift occurs between preceding and succeeding ones of the successive notes. 
     
     
       4. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said storage section stores, as the head-portion waveform data, data of a waveform succeeding a predetermined division point of an original waveform, having at least two successive notes, where a shift occurs between preceding and succeeding ones of the successive notes. 
     
     
       5. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  which further comprises a delay control section that, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, performs control to delay synthesis start timing of the waveform data of the succeeding note behind tone generation start instructing timing of the succeeding note. 
     
     
       6. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said delay control section determines a delay time of the synthesis start timing relative to the tone generation start instructing timing of the succeeding note in accordance with a tone pitch difference or tone volume difference between the preceding note and the succeeding note. 
     
     
       7. The tone synthesis apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  which further comprises a determination section that determines, on the basis of the acquired performance information, whether or not two successive performance notes are to be performed in a legato rendition style, and
 wherein, when said determination section has determined that the two successive performance notes are to be performed in a legato rendition style, said data selection section selects the joint-portion waveform data or the head-portion and tail-portion waveform data in order to generate a connecting tone for connecting between the two successive notes. 
 
     
     
       8. A tone synthesis method implementable by a computer using a memory stores therein at least head-portion waveform data corresponding to a rise portion of a tone, tail-portion waveform data corresponding to a fall portion of a tone and joint-portion waveform data corresponding to a joint portion connecting between two successive notes, said tone synthesis method comprising:
 a setting step of setting either one of a tone generation priority mode and a quality priority mode, wherein the tone generation priority mode and the quality priority mode are modes to be selectively used in order to synthesize a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes, the tone generation priority mode being intended to reduce a delay in tone generation timing of a succeeding one of the two successive notes as compared to the quality priority mode; 
 a step of acquiring performance information; 
 a selection step of, when a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes is to be generated in accordance with the acquired performance information, selecting the joint-portion waveform data from the memory if the mode currently set by said setting step is the quality priority mode, but selecting the head-portion waveform data and the tail-portion waveform data from the memory if the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode; 
 a processing step of, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, processing at least one of a pitch and amplitude of at least one of the head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data selected by said selection step, on the basis of the acquired performance information, so as to provide a smoothly-varying connecting tone; and 
 a synthesis step of synthesizing a tone on the basis of the waveform data read out from the memory in response to selection by said selection step and in accordance with processing by said processing step, 
 wherein, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, said synthesis step separately synthesizes, in accordance with the processing by said processing step, a tone of a fall portion of a temporally preceding one of two successive notes on the basis of the tail-portion waveform data read out from the memory and a tone of a rise portion of a temporally succeeding one of the successive notes on the basis of the head-portion waveform data read out from the memory, so that a connecting tone is realized by a combination of the synthesized tone of the fall portion of the preceding note and the synthesized tone of the rise portion of the succeeding note. 
 
     
     
       9. The tone synthesis method as claimed in  claim 8  which further comprises a step of, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, performing control to delay synthesis start timing of the waveform data of the succeeding note behind tone generation start instructing timing of the succeeding note. 
     
     
       10. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to perform a tone synthesis procedure using a memory stores therein at least head-portion waveform data corresponding to a rise portion of a tone, tail-portion waveform data corresponding to a fall portion of a tone and joint-portion waveform data corresponding to a joint portion connecting between two successive notes, said tone synthesis procedure comprising:
 a setting step of setting either one of a tone generation priority mode and a quality priority mode, wherein the tone generation priority mode and the quality priority mode are modes to be selectively used in order to synthesize a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes, the tone generation priority mode being intended to reduce a delay in tone generation timing of a succeeding one of the two successive notes as compared to the quality priority mode; 
 a step of acquiring performance information; 
 a selection step of, when a connecting tone for connecting between two successive notes is to be generated in accordance with the acquired performance information, selecting the joint-portion waveform data from the memory if the mode currently set by said setting step is the quality priority mode, but selecting the head-portion waveform data and the tail-portion waveform data from the memory if the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode; 
 a processing step of, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, processing at least one of a pitch and amplitude of at least one of the head-portion waveform data and tail-portion waveform data selected by said selection step, on the basis of the acquired performance information, so as to provide a smoothly-varying connecting tone; and 
 a synthesis step of synthesizing a tone on the basis of the waveform data read out from the memory in response to selection by said selection step and in accordance with processing by said processing step, 
 wherein, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, said synthesis step separately synthesizes, in accordance with the processing by said processing step, a tone of a fall portion of a temporally preceding one of two successive notes on the basis of the tail-portion waveform data read out from the memory and a tone of a rise portion of a temporally succeeding one of the successive notes on the basis of the head-portion waveform data read out from the memory, so that a connecting tone is realized by a combination of the synthesized tone of the fall portion of the preceding note and the synthesized tone of the rise portion of the succeeding note. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in  claim 10  which further comprises a step of, when the currently-set mode is the tone generation priority mode, performing control to delay synthesis start timing of the waveform data of the succeeding note behind tone generation start instructing timing of the succeeding note.